Open Forum Time

On the road again with spotty Internet so we have an open forum between posts. Regular rules apply: disagree but don’t attack, no attachments, nothing too long, watch the language. This blog is read in 50 states and 70 countries, keep that in mind.

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About Bob Ingle

Bob Ingle is Senior Political Columnist for Gannett New Jersey newspapers and co-author of The New York Times' Best Seller, "The Soprano State: New Jersey's Culture of Corruption" and "Chris Christie: The Inside Story Of His Rise To Power". He has won numerous journalism awards and is often a news analyst on radio and television. Twitter @ bobingle99.

Gov. Rick Perry was near the height of his popularity when he barnstormed California in September 2011 to raise money for his presidential bid and to participate in his first nationally televised debate.

His state-provided security guards were flying pretty high, too, spending more than $32,000 in taxpayer money for travel and lodging in San Francisco, $4,400 to dine near the Ronald Reagan Library and Museum in Simi Valley, and another $6,400 for plane tickets to San Diego, records show.

(Excerpt) Read more at texastribune.org …

ANOTHER LYING POL Perry promised Texans he would NOT run for president if they reelected him. He was also raising millions for his 2012 bid. The conniver calculated that his presidential campaign would have more resonance if he was an incumbent governor—not a loser pol. Perry’s still a loser—coming in last in some of the polls.

SHADES OF PENN STATE This vile organization—Planned Parenthood—- exhibits all the signs of avid organized pedophiles. They are in our schools K-12 sniffing around the genitals of young people.

We need to know how many of these PP types are connected to pedophilia organizations-——and have been convicted of pedophilia.

THIS JUST IN—PPhood’s newsest atrocity is texting children—-a sex “educator” employed by Planned Parenthood—the organization that works constantly to drive a wedge between children and their parents—will be texting your children without your knowledge or consent.

THE PEDOPHILE CREDO—Planned Parenthood Federation of America has proclaimed a right to sexual enjoyment as a basic human right for all people, including children, and is pushing that goal in every arena, including schools, community groups, and particularly the United Nations. It hires children as young as 14 to promote sex to their peers, and one affiliate recently posted a job listing for a state-funded peer educator position that requires that the teens must attend the annual gay pride parade in order to work for PP.

When Planned Parenthood of Greater Northern New Jersey held its annual national sex educators’ conference, it promoted a website pushing such resources as “Unequal Partners, Teaching about Power and Consent in Adult-Teen and Other Relationships.” Planned Parenthood is actively involved in trying to push the boundaries that separate and protect children from sexual activity.

While this particular texting program has launched in the Denver area, it may well be a test program with plans for nationwide expansion. Parents must be very vocal in their opposition to Planned Parenthood texting their children. You can monitor your children’s phones for texting by noting the program’s acronym and number. The Planned Parenthood “In Case You’re Curious” contact info is obtained by texting ICYC to 66746.

A new study provides disturbing answers to questions about how much students actually learn in college — for many, not much — and has inflamed a debate about the value of an American higher education.

The research of more than 2,300 undergraduates found 45 percent of students show no significant improvement in the key measures of critical thinking, complex reasoning and writing by the end of their sophomore years.

One problem is that students just aren’t asked to do much, according to findings in a new book, “Academically Adrift: Limited Learning on College Campuses.” Half of students did not take a single course requiring 20 pages of writing during their prior semester, and one-third did not take a single course requiring even 40 pages of reading per week. –SNIP– more at APP web site

COMMENTS This comes as no surprise—-with all we know now about the inner dealings of “educators.” The main goal is to line their pockets with tax dollars. These criminal educators are too busy colluding to loot tax assets to have the time to teach our children.

CASE IN POINT Rutgers’ president “retires” with a fat pension and benefits into a $300,000 teaching job—which his grad students will teach. This man should be arrested for fraud and misappropriation of govt funds—instead he’s living in the lap of luxury off the backs of taxpayers.

The educator cabal is ruining us financially and destroying the futures of our children.

The dismal truth about dumbed down 4-year higher education is slowly emerging—-but we already know the caliber of education at 2-year county colleges. Unfortunately, graduates have been misled into thinking they’re actually educated.

Brookdale’s president didn’t worry about educating children—he and the trustees spent their time thinking up ways to extort taxpayers—–and partying on the taxpayers’ dime.

They had no compunction duping taxpayers—-characterizing the second-rate school as a praiseworthy institution. They graduated kids who cannot even spell Brookdale on their resumes.

Brookdale’s president was pocketing a fat $230,000 salary, benefits, free cars, expense accounts, free travel and eats for him AND his wife—taxpayers paid for (1) his kids $250,000 private school education, (2) some of his property taxes, and (3) his country club membership.

Taxpayers paid for his $700,000 office budget which was spent at his discretion…..and he ran a consulting businress on the taxpayers’ dime. He could retire a multi-millionaire from a higher education investment program taxpayers underwrote part of.

If the guy needed a laxative, the trustees made sure taxpayers paid for it.

And they defrauded parents and conned kids into thinking they were getting educated.

I think it’s a great idea to move school board/budget elections to Nov. It makes perfect sense to hold all elections on the same day.

However, I think the public should ALWAYS have a vote on the the budget, whether it is under the 2% cap or not. School expenditures are a huge portion of our property taxes, we deserve a chance to weigh in on how that money is being spent. This also gives the school board valuable feedback on how the community is feeling about school expenses.

Too bad there is no accountability for all those millions of state tax monies dumped into the (formerly known as ) Abbot districts.

when does use it or lose it start? I have 250 sick days to burn and or cash in and retire…then start a couple days later at my same job under new job name….just like christies pals do…..christie brought in all retired DOC people from NY, they make 150,000 plus their NY pension…thats living large! didn’t christie make a big stink against double dippers? and we still have triple dippers……2 paychecks (one pension!) is all i need till my cheap florida house is finished getting redone..then its off to a low tax state 1/2 year in NC in the woods, 1/2 year in florida on the water……..all paid for by YOU VOTING FOOLS…..

Philadelphia Councilwoman is Reelected,
“Retires” from council Friday w/ $478,000 Pension,
Will Go Back To Council On Monday

Marian Tasco, along with many of her fellow Council members, is enrolled in Philadelphia’s Deferred Retirement Option Plan (DROP)…….that allows city workers to collect salary and build up pension money during the last four years of their employment.

Critics claim DROP was originally introduced as “revenue neutral”…..
when it actually costs taxpayers about $22 million a year.

While many of Tasco’s fellow council members dropped out of the re-election race after controversy broke out over their enrollment in DROP, Tasco stayed in the race and won.

================================================
Paraphrasing Saint Augustine “Without a system of justice – what else is the State but a great band of robbers.”

The same man who oversaw MF Global’s $1.2 billion in missing funds, Bradley I. Abelow, is also currently listed on the Environmental Protection Agency’s website as the current chairman of the EPA’s Financial Advisory Board. SNIP

Mr. Abelow also served as former New Jersey Governor Jon Corzine’s chief of staff before Mr. Corzine went on to become MF Global’s CEO. Interestingly, current EPA Administrator Lisa Smith also previously served as then-Gov. Corzine’s chief of staff. Whether the Corzine connection played any role in Mr. Abelow’s appointment to the chairmanship of the EPA’s Financial Advisory Board is as yet unclear.

Mr. Abelow, who as recently as July 2011 appears to have donated $30,800 in campaign donations to the Democratic National Committee and $5,000 in June to President Barack Obama, said over a dozen times during congressional hearings that he didn’t know how MF Global customers’ funds disappeared under his watch. (Excerpt) Read more at biggovernment.com
=====================================
CONGRESS SHOULD BE ALL OVER THIS
Abelow and Corzine misled Congress on several points:

1. When Congress asked Abelow about “previously working with
Corzine,” Abelow reluctantly mentioned being Gov Corzine’s COS. Abelow MADE NO MENTION of Corzine appointing him to head NJ’s Dept of the Treasury—where the two con artists controlled ALL of NJ’s tax assets.

2. Abelow and Corzine SHOULD have been pressed about
their formation of an investment company while they were principals of NJ govt and controlled its assets. The two “financial geniuses” later said they did not know that was illegal.

Feds: MF Global improperly moved customer money
Dec 29, 2011
By Azam Ahmedben Protess
New York Times News Service

WASHINGTON — Federal authorities investigating the demise of MF Global think that the firm began improperly moving customer money to a middleman on Oct. 27, according to people briefed on the matter. The transfers, which indicate the brokerage firm misused client funds earlier than previously believed, represent a new line of inquiry in the hunt for more than $1 billion in missing money.

In MF Global’s last days, the brokerage house was frantically winding down trades to shore up its balance sheet and stave off bankruptcy. Investigators are examining whether the firm — as part of that effort — began moving client funds to the Depository Trust & Clearing Corp., a financial intermediary responsible for closing out some of MF Global’s transactions, these people say.

The new details bolster claims that MF Global was careless with customer money, regardless of the company’s intentions. Authorities previously found that MF Global had used roughly $200 million of client funds to replenish an overdrawn account at JPMorgan Chase in London on Oct. 28, the last business day before the firm filed for bankruptcy.

Now, investigators are also looking at billions of dollars of transfers from MF Global to the Depository Trust & Clearing Corp., a fraction of which is believed to be customer funds. People briefed on the matter say the middleman passed some of the money to banks and other firms that traded with MF Global, which was once run by Jon S. Corzine, the former governor of New Jersey.

In addition, federal authorities are reviewing whether MF Global used customer money to pay the clearing corporation as part of a margin call. Financial intermediaries routinely require extra collateral when firms run into trouble. A different clearinghouse in London forced MF Global to pay roughly $300 million to back some of its bond holdings during its last week.

It is unclear how much customer money was transferred to the Depository Trust & Clearing Corp., and whether officials at MF Global knew they were using client funds. Haphazard recordkeeping and the flood of transactions in its final days might have concealed whether MF Global was deploying the customer cash for firm needs. –snip–

Long read. Rest at postbulletin.com

About this Blog

Bob Ingle, Senior Political Columnist for Gannett New Jersey newspapers, on politics in "The Soprano State".

The Soprano State (the Movie)

Debuted October 18, 2010

About the Author

Bob IngleBob Ingle is Senior Political Columnist for Gannett New Jersey Newspapers and co-author of The New York Times' Best Seller, "The Soprano State: New Jersey's Culture of Corruption." Hear him Fridays at 5 p.m. on www.tommygshow.com radio. twitter.com/bobingle99 E-mail Bob

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Chris Christie biography

"Chris Christie: The Inside Story of His Rise to Power," written by Bob Ingle and Michael Symons, offers the first inside portrait of New Jersey’s governor, who in two years as governor emerged as a national Republican Party figure famous for his blunt public statements. The book details Christie’s combative public persona and deep family roots, tracing his improbable political rise from a bruising stint in county government to his anti-corruption crusade as U.S. Attorney for New Jersey. Chris Christie: The Inside Story of His Rise to Power goes behind the scenes to reveal his family life, his public life, and what the future might hold..

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The Soprano State

"The Soprano State," written by Bob Ingle and Sandy McClure, details the you-couldn't-make-this-up true story of the corruption that has pervaded New Jersey politics, government, and business for the past thirty years. From Jimmy Hoffa purportedly being buried somewhere beneath the end zone in Giants Stadium in the Meadowlands, through allegations of a thoroughly corrupt medical and dental university, through Mafia influence at all levels, to a governor who suddenly declares himself a “gay American” and resigns, the Garden State might indeed be better named after the HBO mobsters.

Today is Friday, February 19th, 2016. Here’s today’s Daily Quickie calendar of what’s happening in New Jersey politics — the last of a 1,488-part series. Flags at state buildings are flown at half-staff today and Saturday to mourn the passing … Continue reading →

Here’s the New Jersey politics calendar for Thursday, February 18th, 2016 … Flags are flown at half-staff at all state buildings to honor Port Authority of New York & New Jersey police officer Elise Bastardo of Wall Township, who was … Continue reading →

On Tuesday, February 16th, 2016 in New Jersey politics: Gov. Chris Christie delivers the 2017 budget speech to a joint session of the Legislature, 2 p.m. in the Statehouse’s Assembly chamber in Trenton. Assembly Democrats will be livestreaming their formal … Continue reading →

A very light New Jersey politics calendar heading into President’s Day weekend on this Friday, February 12th, 2016 … Lt. Gov. Kim Guadagno attends the grand opening of the Plainfield Academy for the Arts and Advanced Studies, 1 p.m. in … Continue reading →

On New Jersey’s political calendar on this Thursday, February 11th, 2016: Senate voting session, 1 p.m. at the Statehouse in Trenton. Among the 22 bills listed on the agenda: requiring companies to offer paid sick leave to employees, Port Authority … Continue reading →

On the politics calendar for this Wednesday, February 10th, 2016 … Gov. Chris Christie returns to New Jersey after finishing in sixth place in Tuesday’s primary in New Hampshire. He had been scheduled to go to South Carolina for events … Continue reading →

On Tuesday, February 9th, 2016, the big story in New Jersey politics takes place in New Hampshire … Gov. Chris Christie’s presidential campaign faces its first crucial test in today’s New Hampshire primary. His polling average shows him in 6th … Continue reading →

On Friday, February 5th, 2016 in New Jersey politics … Gov. Chris Christie’s bus tour through New Hampshire takes him to Strafford Farms Restaurant in Dover for a town-hall meeting at 9 a.m., Timberland in Stratham for an employee town-hall … Continue reading →